More broadly speaking, my historical sensibility derives from growing up in the rust belt, where a thoughtful child is impelled to look to the past in order to explain the faded world around him. My roots on the banks of the Erie Canal have profoundly shaped my professional interests, both chronologically and thematically.

This site is a portal to my research and teaching interests. I also blog as the spirit moves me, about a range of topics of personal and professional interest.